Saturday, December 31, 2011

Amare Stoudemire will sit out tonight's game in Sacto to rest his sprained ankle.

I won't be available to watch the game tonight, but something tells me this one may be ugly. The Knicks are extremely thin with Amar'e and Jeffries out, so who starts? Steve Novak? Josh Harrellson? Novak stretches the floor on offense, but doesn't rebound or defend very well. Harrellson doesn't have much offense, but he can rebound and defend.

I'll give a little preview of tonight's game in this section:

The Kings' backcourt of Tyreke Evans, Marcus Thornton, and Jimmer Fredette, just seems destined to burn the Knicks. Historically, athletic youngsters with knacks for scoring like those guys have given the Knicks fits.

It's going to be the Melo show tonight, as the offense is going to run completely through him, and he really is the only guy outside of maybe Toney Douglas who can score 20 points. In the past two games, the Knicks have only mustered an average of 80 points; how will they fare without their second best scorer?

Another Knick nemesis in the past has been JJ Hickson (who has an oddly intertwined NBA career with Stoudemire). With the Knicks already lacking reliable power forwards, he might go all Kevin Love tonight.

That's about it. Sorry it's so short, blokes; I've got a busy day and night ahead of me. Enjoy the game! Comment on here if you wish to share details of the game, or expectations, or simply want to groan about the Knicks! Happy New Year, ya'll!

Friday, December 30, 2011

The Knicks are 1-2. They've suffered back-to-back losses to the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers. Toney Douglas can't play point guard, Amar'e Stoudemire can't shoot jump shots or drive the lane, Tyson Chandler hasn't helped the defense at all, Carmelo Anthony is a one-man team. There isn't any bench help. The Knicks are doomed.

Last night after the loss, I curled up in a ball in the corner of my bedroom and rocked back and forth with a devilish glaze in my eye. I eventually sprang from my house and terrorized the streets with some neighborhood racoons, rabidly ravishing through trash cans and bags. I woke up this morning naked in a public park, and then returned to my home to write some harsh words about the Knicks. And then I calmed down and accepted the reality of the situation:

This is not the end of the world, nor the end of the Knicks season as we've dreamt it to be.

This current Knicks team is not the future Knicks team. This is a team playing without a starting point guard, or their high-energy, athletic, multifarious rookie who is expected to play a big role this season.

This is a team playing without their first forward off the bench, who was brought back to make the small hustle plays and stabilize the defense, no matter how terrible he is on offense.

This is a team with major new pieces who have never played together before, and have only spent 4 weeks together.

When Baron Davis returns to the court, he will be a huge addition to the Knicks because he is a real point guard. With all due respect to Toney Douglas, he does not have great court vision, he cannot attack defenses, and he does not set up teammates well. Baron Davis does all of those things.

Iman Shumpert, while only a rookie, has NBA athleticism, provides tough defense, and a diverse scoring game. Jared Jeffries fumbles and stumbles his way around the court, but he was brought back for a reason: he is a great communicator on defense, and provides stability when the rest of the team is fumbling and stumbling.

Mike D'Antoni has no job security and is trying to coach a team with major new pieces, knowing full-well the rotations and plays are going to change in a few weeks when the missing players are expected to return.

The history of the Knicks and D'Antoni-coached teams bears similar trends as to what we're seeing now:

Last year the Knicks began 3-8 and lost to teams like the Minnesota Timberwolves, Milwaukee Bucks, Houston Rockets, and the Warriors, among others. The team struggled to gel; Amar'e Stoudemire was forcing the offense, Danilo Gallinari couldn't throw a rock into the ocean, and the Raymond Felton signing looked like a mistake. What followed was a streak where the team won 13 of 14 games.

None of these guys have played NBA basketball since April (except for Tyson Chandler who played until June). They're rusty and are still getting their legs back. The Warriors and Lakers didn't play well this week, the Knicks just played worse.

Amar'e Stoudemire's game is based on rhythm (as Alan Hahn pointsout). Until the offense gets figured out, he'll have trouble finding his offense. Not to mention he'll have to adjust to being played by power forwards as opposed to the bigger, slower centers he faced for the majority of last season.

So before we all head for the nearest bridge, wearing Quentin Ricardson jerseys and pining for the days where we expected the Knicks to be bad, let's take some deep breaths. This team still has a lot of growing to do, and frankly, they only needs to get it figured out by March and April. As far as January and February go, they need to win, don't get me wrong, but we shouldn't expect championship-level ball.

The coming game against the Kings has a chance to be another loss. Historically, young, athletic teams with lots of confidence like to pounce on the Knicks when they're struggling; it's just the way it goes.

But this current Knicks team, the team that can't score or defend; they're not the team. They're not what the front office planned to build, and not what Mike D'Antoni or any Knicks players or fan wants them to be. They're simply in a holding pattern until they get back to full health and become familiar with one another.

Well, this is going to be a short one. Frankly, this is was one of the worst Knicks games I can recall watching. Perhaps it's because this team has a buttload of talent, and I expect them to win... I don't know. But this will be a short recap of what went down.

I won't even bother to break it up into halves because it was all a terrible, terrible mess. Worse than the score would reflect.

Get well soon, Baron Davis and Iman Shumpert. Apparently Shumpert is the MVP of this team, because for some inexplicable reason, the offense in the Boston game went from passable and improving to a spiraling black hole of devastation, where nobody moves themselves or create off the dribble, except for....

Carmelo Anthony. Melo had a redemption game of sorts (27 points, 7
rebounds, 5 assists) after torching his own team against the Warriors
with an abysmal shooting performance. Melo's jump shot was generally
on-target, but he was most effective driving to the lane with series of
strong spin moves, and drawing fouls on the block. Melo's done his best
to create plays for others, but it also results in a high number of
turnovers (5). He looked like one of a few Knicks who cared during this
game.

The Knicks managed to hang around within 8-12 points most of the game because they made 43-41 free throws as opposed to the Lakers' 14-22. Otherwise, the Knicks shot 31.3% from the field, and 6-22 from 3-point range.

Toney Douglas is just flat-out not a point guard. He cannot run a pick-and-roll, let alone create for himself off a screen. He allows defenders too much time to recover because he doesn't attack the screen directly. Likewise, now that he tries to run the offense, he has even worse shot selection which he rarely converts on. Get well soon, Baron Davis.

Amar'e Stoudemire was just awful. 4-17 with 15 points. Only 2 rebounds with 4 turnovers. Oh, and he sprained his ankle. Get well soon, STAT.

I'll just right-out admit that I find Kobe Bryant to be highly unlikable, and I think he knows that because he likes to torture the Knicks. He had 28 points last night, and abused whoever defended him. The referees just didn't allow Landry Fields to breathe on Kobe (4 fouls in 24 minutes), but Kobe torched the likes of Bill Walker and Renaldo Balkman on multiple occasions. I don't even want to describe those occasions because it makes my blood pressure rise.

Steve Novak played 11 minutes and hit 2-3 from downtown, which brought slight but short-lived relief to Knicks fans. However, Steve should never dribble. Ever.

Tyson Chandler was better statistically, but in the same kind of poor way he has been so far. 14 points (11 from the FT line) and 11 rebounds with 3 steals and 2 blocks. The Knicks allowed 44 points in the paint though, so I don't know. That's kinda supposed to be Tyson's forte, isn't it?

Well, that's about it. Next game will be Saturday against Sacramento, who look like a pretty dangerous team. One that would potentially blow out the Knicks with their crafty dribblers and athletic youngsters. See you then!

Thursday, December 29, 2011

Well... that was ugly. The Knicks shouldn't be upset about who they lost to; they should be upset about how they lost this game. The Knicks went into half-time with a 43-37 lead, but then were outscored, out-played, and out-hustled in the second half to the tune of 55-35.

Though the offense and defense didn't look crisp at any point, it was manageable in the first half. However, the Knicks' second half execution was about as poor as it gets.

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Tonight at 10:30, the Knicks embark on a quest for their second win of the season against the Golden State Warriors. The Warriors are coming off of a win against the Chicago Bulls, but may be without their starting PG Stephen Curry, who re-aggravated his already achy ankle against the Bulls. Curry will be a game-time decision.

For the Knicks, after a rousing victory in their home-opener against the Boston Celtics, will try to move 2-0 for the first time in 10 years. However, their cupboard will be equally bare without the services of Baron Davis (back), Iman Shumpert (sprained MCL), and Jared Jeffries (calf).

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Confirmed Knicks have claimed former Harvard PG Jeremy Lin off the waiver wire as stopgap. Cut by Warriors.

I truthfully don't know too much about Jeremy Lin. His stats last season aren't impressive, but looking at his splits, you can see in April, when he actually got playing time (albeit in only 5 games) he produced fairly decent numbers: 4.8 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 3.0 apg, and 1.2 spg. That was in only about 13.6 mpg too, so he seems productive when he gets playing time.

Also, credit to Seth Rosenthal over at Posting & Toasting for putting up this video of Lin in the Summer League two years ago:

Lin appears to be a score-first PG, but even still he sets up teammates nicely with his penetration. He sort of reminds me of JJ Barea in that regard. We'll see exactly how much time he gets, but either way; welcome, Jeremy Lin!

Monday, December 26, 2011

Yesterday during the game, Chris Wilcox fell and rolled into Iman Shumpert, causing an MCL sprain on Shump Shump. It was probably an intentional move by Wilcox, who still feels spited that the Knicks didn't re-sign him after his MVP campaign in 2008-09 (kidding, Celtics/Chris Wilcox fans).

Poor Shump Shump.

Anywho, with Shump's MCL all sprained and Baron Davis's disk all herniated, the Knicks' backcourt rotation is now Toney Douglas (who is not really a PG), Mike Bibby (who is very old), Landry Fields (who is not really a guard), and Bill Walker (who is not very good). Carmelo Anthony has been entrusted with some ball-handling duties, but he is most definitely not a guard.

D'Antoni said knicks will look to add another guard. A Nate Robinson return is unlikely.

Not that a Nate return was very realistic, as he and D'Antoni weren't always on the same book, let alone the same page, but it would have been fun. Who the heck the Knicks could be targeting is beyond me, but here are some names that are still available.

Carlos Arroyo

Earl Boykins

Willie Green

Pooh Jeter (!)

Pattie Mills

Acie Law

Those dudes all seem like cheap options who could fill in for some spot minutes and give the Knicks some help. I'd probably trust Arroyo or Boykins (who actually filled in admirably for the Bucks when Brandon Jennings was injured last year) the most, but who knows what the Knicks front office is thinking.

I also remembered that Gilbert Arenas is still out there and that Allen Iverson wants to return to the NBA. I foolishly thought about the Knicks signing one of them, and then laughed it off. And then I got nervous because those are two moves that would just tickle James Dolan.

It was a wild opening game to the 2011-12 NBA season, and when the final buzzer rang out, the Knicks had defeated the Boston Celtics for the first time in their previous eight tries.

Nathaniel S. Butler/ NBAE/ Getty Images

It wasn't always pretty or even, but the Knicks pulled out a tough win in a game that had most fans' blood pressure soaring in the second half.

After a dominant first half, in which the Knicks moved the ball crisply and cooked the Celtics from outside, Rajon Rondo and Brandon Bass took over as the Celtics' entire team woke up and took the lead. The fourth quarter which found the Knicks in an eight-point deficit, turned out to be a battle of wills in which Carmelo Anthony's was the greatest.

Sunday, December 25, 2011

What a game! It got really scary for a bit, but when it mattered most, Carmelo Anthony earned his superstar money and delivered on offense, while the Knicks defense clamped down enough to squeeze out 106-104 win over the Boston Celtics.

I suppose that's better news than Shumpert being out for the season. However, the Knicks' backcourt depth is super, super low now. Iman's a young dude in excellent shape, so hopefully his rehabilitation will go quickly. Without he or Baron Davis, the Knicks will solely rely on Toney Douglas, Mike Bibby, and Carmelo Anthony, which is not ideal.

Thursday, December 22, 2011

Knicks have waived their two training camp invitees: Devin Green and Chris Hunter. Roster is at 14 players, with one open slot.

The Knicks have one open roster spot left and have the stretch/room exception left in their pocket. Will they use it for a player in free agency now? Perhaps a smaller bench player like James Posey? Or will they target Kenyon Martin when he comes back from China?

The Knicks finished their shortened preseason 2-0 with a second win over the New Jersey Nets last night. Once again, there was some very sloppy ball, but also flashes of familiarity that point to greater things in the future.

Photo by William Perlman - The Star-Ledger

Among some of the most pleasant things were cohesions amongst the starting five, Carmelo Anthony's (generally) splendid passing, and more energy from the bench.

Some lesser things included lack of point guard play, Amar'e Stoudemire's continued poor shooting, and of course, the still-messy, post-lockout preseason basketball that most teams are experiencing.

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

And that's a wrap, folks! Both teams finished their preseasons tonight in a sloppy, but entertaining games.

The Knicks are still working out the kinks, but we saw some nice things tonight:

- Carmelo Anthony may be poised for an MVP-caliber season. His scoring is odminant as always, but he's active on the glass, playing legitimate defense, and his passing looks miles ahead of any other time I've seen.

- The Knicks bench could turn into a bench mob this season. Between Shumpert, Harrellson and Balkman, they appear to be active on defense, good rebounders, and deadly in the fast break game.

- Tyson Chandler, while foul-plagued most of the night, made a real impact. Whether it was cleaning up boards, deterring drivers, or cheering on younger teammates, his presence was felt.

As expected, the Knicks have claimed Steve Novak. Their roster stands at 16. So someone will be cut in the next couple of days.

One would assume that Devin Green and/or Chris Hunter will be the victims. The Knicks are still sitting on that room exception, so they might cut both of them in hopes of signing of the Chinese league signees who will return in February or March.

Either way, Steve is a nice addition because of his ability to stretch the defense.

Monday, December 19, 2011

Should Steve Novak clear waivers after Spurs release, New York will
likely sign him to a guaranteed deal for season, sources tell Y!

D. Clarke Evans/NBAE/Getty Images

Truthfully, I don't know all that much about Steve Novak, so I had to do some research.

- He's 6' 10", 245 lbs.
- He went to Marquette and shot the 3-pointer better than Ben Wallace shoots free throws - an incredible 46%
- In the NBA he's shot pretty well, albeit in very limited amount of playing time. His best season came with the Clippers in 2008-09, when he averaged 16.4 mpg, 6.9 ppg on .444 FG% and .416 3FG%

And some miscellaneous facts!
- Steve's favorite snack is Triscuit crackers in cocktail sauce
- The first concert Steve ever went to was a Lou Bega concert because he loved "Mambo #5"
- In his off-time, Steve loves to build hammocks and finger paint

Seems like Steve would try and fill the Shawne Williams' role as a stretch 4 off the bench. With the "room" exception... eh, could be better used. As a veteran's minimum signing, I approve!

Today, at the MSG facilities, the Knicks made the signing of Baron Davis official. Also, according to Howard Beck of the NY Times, he has signed for the veteran's minimum of $1.4 million, which means the Knicks still have the stretch/room exception of $2.5M to sign another free agent.

He is currently meeting with the media and saying some things. Here are some more tweets of his press conference.

From Howard Beck:

Baron cited allure of the Garden, Amare and Carmelo in choosing Knicks over hometown Lakers or the Miami Heat.

As for his back, Baron said he could be out 8-10 weeks, but said it will depend on treatment, etc.

And a bit from Alan Hahn:

Baron Davis says all the right things -- "dream" to play in New York, at
MSG -- but says back injury will be evaluated by team doctors

I'm very excited to see what Baron can do when he is healthy. At the least, during his recovery time, he can study the playbooks and familiarize himself with the team, which will hopefully speed up the adjustment process when he gets on the court.

Also, we'll have to see who the Knicks now target with the stretch/room exception. Names I've heard most frequently are James Posey and Bostjan Nachbar, who would both fill a 3/4 need off the bench.

Sunday, December 18, 2011

Just going up on ESPN com: Sources say Baron Davis has committed to sign with Knicks. Link on the way

It's been said for awhile now that there was mutual interest, and Mike D'Antoni acknowledged that the team would be interested. Likewise, Davis's herniated that was originally supposed to take 8-10 weeks to heal, is said to be healing a little bit quicker. Via Marc Berman:

As I reported today, #Knicks believe Baron Davis can be on the court in a month despite his disk issues, not the 8-to-10 week nonsense.

Obviously Baron's conditioning and health will be a factor, but if he gets healthy this could be a huge pickup for the Knicks. Davis is a good scorer and great playmaker and will give the Knicks a true point guard option. You'd have to assume that this would eventually move Toney Douglas back to the bench, which would give the bench an extra scoring punch.

Saturday, December 17, 2011

First off, sorry for my goof-up on my post last night. I wrote that the Knicks were playing the Celtics, which is not true. They played the New Jersey Nets. It's been a long week of finals studying, but I'm home on break now, so hopefully I can pick things back up around here.

By all accounts this was a preseason game. Due to driving home, I didn't get to catch the whole thing but I'll give a general run-down of what went down.

As mentioned in that tweet, and has been mentioned before, there is definitely interest between the two parties. Amar'e Stoudemire seemed to downplay the whole scenario, but that may have been to give Toney Douglas an ego boost.

It's been hinted that Baron Davis's hernatied disk in his back could be healed quicker by wearing a different jersey other than the Cleveland Cavaliers. And as Moke Hamilton pointed out in an article on Sheridan Hoops today, the severity of Baron's injury could have been dramatized to ward off any potential suitors during the waiver process.

Well, now Davis has cleared waivers, and could potentially come to New York for the stretch exception (2 years, $5 million) or on the veteran's minimum ($1.4 million per season).

I, personally, think Davis would be a great fit. Even if he is out 8-10 weeks, he could eventually give the Knicks a true playmaker and scoring threat at the PG position. It could also move Toney Douglas back to the bench, where his scoring ability would be more suited.

With the acquisition of Tyson Chandler this off-season, the Knicks constructed one of the most formidable frontcourts in the entire league. Simply having "a wondeful Christmas time!" Carmelo Anthony, Amar'e Stoudemire, and Chandler gives the Knicks a legitimate shot to be one of the best teams in the league.

Photo by AP

Of course, in order to gain Chandler, the Knicks had to release their starting point guard, Chauncey Billups, and their backup center, Ronny Turiaf. Likewise, in their pursuit for free agent Jamal Crawford (who seriously considered the Knicks and would have been a great bargain at the offer they made him), they missed out re-signing Shawne Williams who went over to the New Jersey Nets.

Thus far in training camp, Mike D'Antoni and other teammates have professed full confidence in Toney Douglas as the starting point guard. Likewise, Landry Fields worked all summer long on his game, has put on a lot more muscle, and should once again be a good fill at the 2 spot.

However, as the roster is currently constructed, that leaves a bench of Mike Bibby, Iman Shumpert, Bill Walker, Renaldo Balkman, Jared Jeffries, Josh Harrellson, and Jerome Jordan. According to some media members, Harrellson has said to be impressive, so you could probably pencil him in for some gametime action, but Balkman and Jordan are unlikely to get consistent playing time. The only actual known quantities on the bench are Bibby and Jeffries, who while useful, are not players that would get major minutes on many other teams.

So with the first preseason game tomorrow, the Knicks are looking to make some last-minute additions to their team to help fill out a weak bench unit. Who are some candidates?

Thursday, December 15, 2011

According to the New York Daily News and multiple Twitter outlets, Shawne Williams had spited the Knicksagreed to sign with the New Jersey Nets.

Evidently, Williams is signing with the Nets for the equivalent of the "room/stretch exception": 2 years, $5 million. It's hard not to think that Williams was a little bit put-off when the Knicks prioritized trying to sign Jamal Crawford over him, but the lure of a starting spot probably helped seal the deal too.

In the meantime, the Knicks will turn their attention to some other possibilities to add to the bench. Some names I've heard thrown around are Maurice Evans, Michael Redd, Bostjan Nachbar (who worked out for the Knicks a few weeks ago), or possibly Travis Outlaw if New Jersey uses the amnesty clause on him. If Baron Davis clears waivers, he is very much on the Knicks' radar.

In the meantime, good luck in New Jersey, Shawne! We appreciated a year of your services.

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Quite truthfully, I'm tired of speculating on free agents and possible additions. I'm very much looking forward to having a complete Knicks team to analyze and write about, but news is news, and this bears regurgitating. From Ken Berger:

Teams under the salary cap (the Knicks are not one of them) can now bid on Davis. However, given the fact that he has a back injury, and has had health/conditioning/motivation problems in the past, teams may stay away from him. If he clears waivers and isn't picked up by any team, he becomes a free agent and the Knicks will be able to bid on his services. Mr. Alan Hahn reports that there is mutual interest.
Davis would be a pretty exciting player for the Knicks to have. Though he may be injured, he'd be worthwhile keeping around for when he is healthy. I don't think he'd act up on a team with Amar'e, Carmelo and Tyson Chandler, and he would fill an immediate need for a point guard and extra scoring. He's a talented passer and very good in the pick-and-roll too.

Reggie Williams has agreed to a two-year deal, $5 million deal with Charlotte, a league source tells Y! Sports.

Shame. The prospect of Williams had me excited, and he ended up accepting a contract that the Knicks would have offered too.

This doubly means that New York will focus their efforts on Shawne Williams. Who else will they target? We'll see if anything comes of the Maurice Evans talk, but I haven't seen a whole lot. The Knicks likely have their eyes on other cheap options, so we'll see who they target next.

According to multiple reporters, Jamal Crawford has opted not to take the Knicks' 2 year, $5 million offer. From Alan Hahn:

#Knicks move to @ShawneWill3 as @JCrossover eliminates taking $2.5M room exception to come to NY. Crawford to choose either POR or SAC

Farewell and good luck, Jamal! Ultimately, it was unlikely for Crawford to take a contract well below what other teams have offered him. He would have filled a need with the Knicks, and the reunion would have been a grand, ole time, but it wasn't the best business decision for him to come New York.

As Alan Hahn mentioned, the Knicks will likely focus their efforts to bringing Shawne Williams back to the team. Apparently, Williams as been working out in New York, waiting to see what Crawford would do. He's most likely hoping for the Knicks to increase their offer.

The remaining roster spots should be filled relatively quickly now over the next day or two.

While the Knicks dangle on the string that is Jamal Crawford's decision, more possible free agents have been named.

Reggie Williams, who was amnestied (or maybe bought out) by the Golden State Warriors, has supposedly narrowed his team selection down to four teams, one of them being the Knicks. Adrian Wojnarowski tweeted it this morning.

Also, Maurice Evans has apparently emerged as a potential free agent target, according to the New York Post.

At this point, I just hope the free agent fiasco gets sorted out. The Knicks have three days until their first preseason game, and 11 days until the play the Celtics on Christmas. If any of these dudes are added to the team, they'll be fairly big additions and the team will need time to find chemistry.

Though I will say that Reggie Williams could fill the SG/SF slot off the bench and put the ball through the hoop with his excellent shooting.

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

We know where the Knicks stand on Jamal Crawford - unwilling to trade Toney Douglas, and offering the "stretch exception" to Jamal for 2 years, $5 million.

Earler today, however, it was reported that the Indiana Pacers offered Crawford a 2 year deal worth $10 million, with an opt-out after the first year. That's double the amount of money the Knicks can offer, and with the Pacers quickly building a young team with potential, it seemed like the Knicks fell out of the hunt.

Until Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star tweeted this....

Jamal Crawford has turned down the Pacers 2 yr, $10 million down offer, according to a source

Likewise, LaMarcus Alrdidge said that he was doing his best to convince Crawford to join the Blazers. Jamal is a West coast guy (Seattle native), so the Blazers would make a lot of sense. Especially since Brandon Roy retired.

But... this does still leave the Knicks available. I don't know the Blazers' cap situation, but I don't think they can offer a ton more than the Knicks.

Involved in all this is Shawne Williams, who the Knicks would love to re-sign. He is probably waiting for Crawford's decision to see if he can get more money for the Knicks. He is fielding longer, more lucrative deals from other teams though.

Monday, December 12, 2011

Hey everybody. I'm getting pretty regular viewership on this blog - about 20-30 views a day - and it seems to be gaining more momentum. Thank you to everyone who reads and keeps it up! It'd be pretty cool for the site to keep growing, and when more people read it, it attracts a wider audience around the world. Again, thank you.

As I'm sure anybody who reads this blog has noticed, it appears the New York Knicks' official website has changed its name to Knicks Now. A little background: when I made this blog almost two weeks ago, when I came up with the idea to title it "Knicks Now", I Google'd the name, and no results came up. I'm guessing the Knicks' official website was under maintenance and hadn't yet made the name change official.

Though this blog doesn't seem to get enough traffic to come up on search engines (at least from what I've seen), I want to change the name, just in case the people running the other Knicks Now get angry at me. I'm leaning towards Knicks Daily as the new name, but still have others to consider. If you read this and have any other ideas, please comment on any of the posts and suggest it!

With all that said, it brings me to a bigger point: if you read this blog, feel free to comment along or select the "Follow" option at the top-left side of the browser. I've changed the settings so that anyone can comment on any of the posts, regardless of whether or not you have a Blogger account. I would love to get some feedback or discussions going on this page!

To summarize:

Thank you for reading, whomever you may be!

Comment and let me know if you have any name change suggestions

Comment or Follow in general and help make this blog a little more active!

I had been waiting to share this news, because I wanted to see what would become of it, but according to numerous reporters, Jerome Jordan is at the Knicks' facilities today.

In case you have forgotten about Jordan, he played for Tulsa in college, and was drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks when they selected him with the 44th pick in 2010. The Knicks purchased his draft rights from them shortly after. Jordan played for the Knicks in Summer League that same year, but he was still extremely raw, and so the Knicks stashed his talents overseas. Since, he's been playing in Slovenia for a team called KK Hemofarm (which is also a Transylvanian private school for apsiring vampires. Call it a vocational school).
There was some uncertainty as to whether Jordan would be invited to join the Knicks this year, as he could have been here a week ago, when facilities opened. However, it seems now that the Knicks are working out the terms of his buyout form Slovenia and will sign him to a contract.

From what I've seen, Jordan is nothing to get too excited about. He's big (7'0", 253 lb.), which is nice, but he's extremely raw. I've heard reports that he's had some great games overseas, however I've also seen game footage of him where he was pushed around underneath the basket, fouled frequently, and had little to no touch around the rim.

It might do him good to get some experience with guys like Tyson Chandler and Amar'e Stoudemire, but as for now, I don't see him being more than injury insurance.

Update: Al Iannazzone twatted:

Glen Grunwald said knicks would love to bring back jamal crawford, and jerome jordan should be signed soon.

Reports say he stepped on Iman Shumpert's foot and went down. However, Alan Hahn has provided some reassuring words:

D'Antoni says he expects Melo back in practice tomorrow or Wednesday. Did not seem overly-concerned.

Hopefully the Melo man is alright, because the last thing the Knicks need is another set back. The first preseason game is 5 days away, and the opener against Boston on Christmas is less than two weeks away.

Sunday, December 11, 2011

Since the early morning buzz, it seems as if the Jamal Crawford trade talk has quieted down. Marc Berman tweeted that the Knicks are unwilling to part with Toney Douglas in a trade. Likewise, Howard Beck noted that the Knicks have lots of guys that they cannot trade because new rookie signings can't be moved for 30 days, and free agents can't be moved for 3 months.

That means the only players the Knicks could trade not named Carmelo or Amar'e are Landry Fields, Bill Walker and Renaldo Balkman. I don't think the Knicks are looking to move Fields and Balkman and Walker are probably of no interest to Atlanta. Anyway, Alan Hahn dismissed the idea of a trade.:

I saw earlier that the Knicks have offered Jamal the "stretch exception" which is a 2 year deal worth $5 million, but Crawford is likely searching for a bigger deal. For now, it seems like that ship has sailed, unless he changes his mind.

The Knicks' training camp should be a little more lively today as the Knicks have begun to round out their roster with 11 players now on the team. According to Alan Hahn, rookies Iman Shumpert and Josh Harrellson officially signed with the team, Jared Jeffries re-signed one a one-year, veteran's minimum deal, and Mike Bibby has joined too! Bibby agreed yesterday to join the team, also one a one-year, vet's min. deal.

Saturday, December 10, 2011

Not thrilled, and I hope he doesn't do anything more than play spot minutes at the PG position, but I suppose the Knicks could do worse. On a one year, minimum deal, he doesn't take up a lot of space, and he's insurance should Toney Douglas get injured.

Some other interesting news (?) from Chris Mannix, also of Sports Illustrated:

Knicks have been in contact with J.J. Barea and are making a strong push to acquire him, source says.

Mr. Mannix also mentioned in another tweet that the Knicks don't have the money to sign Barea, but are working on other ways of acquiring him. I don't want to comment on this too much because I think it's a long shot, but Barea would be very interesting on this team. However, in the same offseason that the Knicks magically acquired Tyson Chandler... anything is possible.

Free agent Shawne Williams is expected to accept an offer today, with the #Knicks among a few suitors. #fb

Shawne Williams (aka Extra E - another gem from Posting & Toasting) was nice pickup for the Knicks last year, and he could be vital this year. He spreads the floor with excellent 3-point shooting, he plays tough defense, and has shown a willingness to re-sign with New York.

Alan Hahn also noted via Twitter (such a great resource these days), that the Knicks now have the "room exception" which gives players a 2 year, $5 million deal ($2.5 mil a season). With those kniving Brooklynettes New Jersey Nets lurking in the shadows, preying after our Shawne, it may be needed to tie him up.

From the wonderful Knicks blog, Posting & Toasting, here is an overview of what is happening with te Knicks. Mr. Seth Rosenthal sums it up nicely and provides links and updates to the free agency madness.

This has been reported by multiple sources, but it seems Mike Bibby is on the Knicks' radar.

Scott Cunningham/NBAE via Getty Images

Eh... I guess. With all due respect to Mr. Bibby, at this point in his career, he doesn't provide much other than 3-point shooting. For the past couple years, he hasn't been much of a play-maker because he's played with some ball-dominant players (Joe Johnson and Lebron James), and that would be the case here, as the Knicks have two of them. However, he wouldn't hurt, as he'd most likely take the veteran's minimum to play, and according to that Berman article linked above, he'd be willing to play off the bench.

Why not? He provides 3-point shooting which the Knicks need, and he is point guard depth. We'll see if anything actually becomes of this though.

Sad to see some of these Knick bros go, particularly Turiaf who was a fan favorite, and quite frankly would have been great off the bench to back up Chandler. But having Tyson will be a huge leg up. More free agent things on the way.

Friday, December 9, 2011

"Tyson Chandler is on his way to New York in a complicated deal that will give the Knicks a major defensive boost while leaving them with a gaping hole at point guard."

This pretty much sums it up. Chandler will be a tremendous presence for the Knicks: on defense, in the paint, and in the locker room. As is mentioned in the piece, and was also mentioned by Magic Johnson (!), Chandler, Amar'e Stoudemire, and Carmelo Anthony form arguably the NBA's best front-court.

The Knicks will use the new amnesty provision on Chauncey Billups to clear room for Chandler, and they will look to trade Ronny Turiaf.

This does leave a big hole at point guard though. Toney Douglas started 9 games at PG last year, and did fairly well (13.9 ppg, 52.2 FG%, 5.7 apg), but is not suited to be a starting PG full time. The Knicks could go the cheap route and try to sign a free agent PG like Sebastian Telfair or Earl Watson (both are pure speculation on my part), or another option has been mentioned....

Thursday, December 8, 2011

According to to the NBPA, the vote was 86% in favor of the deal. According to David Stern, the owners' vote was 25-5 in favor of the deal. Whomever voted "no" for this deal... what the fuck? Everyone in the respective paarties who helped pass it: thank you! Time for some NBA basketball.

To add Chandler, the Knicks will either use their amnesty clause to waive Chauncey Billups
and his $14.2 million salary or they will trade him, sources said. The
Knicks have privately told people that if they trade Billups – who has
said he doesn’t want to leave New York – it will be to a “good” team. If
the Dallas Mavericks do a sign-and-trade with Chandler, they could conceivably get Billups in return.

More to come as the story develops, and then I can give a better analysis. In the meantime: holy crap!

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Obviously, as has already been announced, the Knicks will have two preseason games against the New Jersey Nets on December 17 and December 21. Their official season opener will be the first game of the season! Christmas Day at noon in MSG against the Boston Celtics.

Can confirm that Jared Jeffries is returning to Knicks. Fans may cringe, but it makes sense on many levels.

Rejoice! Another year of blown lay-ups, taking charges, and weird teeth and lips!

But really, Jeffries will most likely only sign a 1-year deal, and the Knicks could do worse, believe it or not. Jeffries has almost no offensive game, but he's valuable on defense. He can guard all 5 positions, is great at taking charges, and can help the Knicks secure rebounds with his strange ability to tip balls back out after a missed shot. If nothing more, he's good insurance to have on the bench.

Monday, December 5, 2011

Deron Williams, the PG of the New Jersey Nets, said a lot of things today. Here are some of those things:

"My plan is to stay," Williams said during an interview with WFAN radio
Monday. "Hopefully we get some good talent in here to where I can stay."

I don't mean to be overly critical of Deron Williams, and it's no secret that the Nets are not a very good team, but he's about to play a season with the guys he basically just said needed to be upgraded. More:

Williams estimated that his chances of staying are "90 percent."

Nothing wrong with that. Deron just doesn't like to beat around the bush. He continued:

Word is Amar'e Stoudemire is supposed to arrive Wednesday or Thursday, and Chauncey Billups is supposed to arrive Wednesday. Not particularly thrilled about either not showing up until a day or two before training camp, but what can you do?

Sunday, December 4, 2011

Ex-Net Bostjan Nachbar is expected to work out for the #Knicks on Tuesday. Nachbar played for D'Antoni in Italy. #nyk

I don't even know too much about Bostjan Nachbar, but it sounds like he could: a.) Be a great vampire, b.) Produce chocolate bars, c.) Be a DJ at those bars made entirely of ice, or d.) Be a basketball player!

The answer is d. evidently!

Photo by AP

Bostjan is from Yugoslavia and played in the NBA from 2002-2008. He's 6'9" and has been playing overseas the last two years. Word is at some point he played for Mike D'Antoni (I'll get more on that later). During his time in the NBA, he played for the Houston Rockets, New Orleans Hornets, and New Jersey Nets. For his career he averaged 7.1 ppg on .406 FG% and .375 3FG%, to go with 2.6 rpg. His playing time throughout his career was very eratic, judging by his total games played and mpg.

Overall, he doesn't seem like the kind of guy the Knicks should be targeting, but we'll see what becomes of his workouts.

NBA team executives and coaches will be allowed to start talking to
players around the league starting Monday at 10 a.m. ET, according to
sources familiar with the league's decision.

Likewise, free agents may be courted too starting Monday. However, no oral or formal agreements may be made. The article also mentions that while coaches and team executives can start talking to players, they still cannot oversee any on-court workouts.

Slowly, but surely, this lockout is ending. Tomorrow should be interesting to see what free agents the Knicks are indeed pursuing.

Saturday, December 3, 2011

Approximately one year ago, every Knicks fan and NBA expert was singing the praises of Knicks rookie Landry Fields.

Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images

Lion
What was there not to like? Drafted with the 39th pick out of Stanford, Fields made an impression during the Summer League in Las Vegas before putting his stamp on the revamped Knicks by coming into training camp and earning the starting SG spot in Mike D'Antoni's lineup.

Most draft experts did not expect Fields to even be drafted and when he was, the crowd at MSG was less than pleased. However, Fields took the court with a vengeance and quickly turned heads by winning NBA's Rookie of the Month in November and December. Many people were calling Fields the steal of the draft because of his effecient scoring, knack for grabbing rebounds, and tremendous hustle. He was one of the Knicks Energizer bunnies and always seemed to be in the right place in the right time, often igniting the crowd.

Lamb
After the Carmelo Anthony trade in February though, Fields was a different player, and noticably so. Though his stats did not dramatically drop in all areas (they did drop though), he looked tentative on court. The hustle plays didn't seem to happen quite as often, and the swagger he once so confidently boasted seemed lost. In general, Fields seemed like a misplaced rookie.

Questions sprung from every angle. Was Fields's game ill-equipped to be partnered with Carmelo Anthony's isolation game? Did Fields benefit more from the quicker pace that Raymond Felton ran with other youngsters like Wilson Chandler and Danilo Gallinari? Was he just struggling playing a bigger role on the team? Did he hit the rookie wall? Was he just a flash in the pan?

When the Knicks were swept in the Playoffs by the Boston Celtics, Fields was visibly shaken. He averaged just 1.8 ppg on .200 FG% with only 1.3 rpg, and was actually a liability for the Knicks to have on the court.

I hadn't mentioned this in any earlier posts, but it's something to keep in mind when teams are allowed to actually sign free agents:

Anybody the Knicks sign will have a short tenure.

Obviously the Knicks' goal is to save cap room for the summer of 2012 when Chris Paul, Dwight Howard and Deron Williams will be free agents. Of course if one of them is available via trade this season, the Knicks will try to make a move, but that's where free agency plays a big role this season.

Jared Wickerham/Getty Images

Names such as Grant Hill, Anthony Parker, Kurt Thomas, and Caron Butler, amongst many others have been thrown out there are possible targets already. However, important as these players could potentially be this season, their contracts will make them stop-gaps with only one-year contracts.

According to the roster on ESPN, the Knicks have 10 players on their team including Iman Shumpert and Josh Harrellson who have not officially been signed yet, but will likely make the team. If I'm not mistaken, the league minimum is 12 players on a roster, and the maximum is 15.

So far it is unknown whether Jerome Jordan, the 7-foot second round pick from 2010, will be invited to training camp, but let's assume he is. The next order of business would be to make a decision on unrestricted free agent Shawne Williams, and restricted free agent Derrick Brown. There is mutual interest to resigning Williams, so we'll assume he too gets added to the roster. That would give the Knicks 12 players, leaving three potential roster spots left.

There are lots of free agents that could play important roles for the Knicks this year, but how many of them will be willing to sign for only one year?

As far as money goes, they will have the full $5 million MLE to spend, as well the biannual exception, and veteran's minimum - $1.9 million and $1.4 million, respectively. If the Knicks are patient and smart about their signings, they could certainly obtain valuable players for this season, which could have another important impact on the season.

Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images

Rumors are already swirling about a trade between the Knicks and New Orleans Hornets for Chris Paul. These rumors are often dismissed though because it is said the Knicks don't have enough assets. Currently, the only Knicks players with any market value are Chauncey Billups, Landry Fields, Toney Douglas, and Ronny Turiaf. If Iman Shumpert, Josh Harrellson or Jerome Jordan play well out of the gates, they could be included in that list too.

This is why signing impactful free agents is important. If the Knicks were to sign players with actual market value (i.e. a Grant Hill-, Kwame Brown-, Anthony Parker-type), they could be included in a deal with the Hornets. Obviously they'd be attractive pieces for their on-court production, but also their one-year deals would mean lots of cap relief for next summer. Going this route would also mean that the Knicks would not have to completely strip their depth the way they did in the Carmelo Anthony trade.

Whether the Knicks use free agency to pick up valuable players for their team, or for a blockbuster trade, each signing will be very important.

After a fairly quiet day Friday, more free agent possibilities erupted on the news front today! First, let's take a look at what Marc Berman at the Post is talking about:

With free-agent forward Grant Hill looking like a long shot, the Knicks have expressed interest in Cavaliers sharpshooter Anthony Parker, The Post has learned.

Photo by AP

Though
the Knicks’ priority is a defensive center, they seem also intent on
getting a 3-point-shooting small forward, a leader who can defend coming
off the bench.

Anthony Parker is an intriguing piece for the Knicks. He'd fill a gap at shooting guard, can stretch the floor, and is a tough defender. However, he'll likely have other suitors, which means the Knicks would have to compete with teams offering more money, and longer contracts. In other words, the exact opposite of what the Knicks want.

Berman also mentions the Knicks have interest in Kurt Thomas, Tony Battie, Jeff Foster, and Aaron Gray, who are all big men that would at the very least offer some reinforcement down low.

Next, to many people's surprise, Christian Reid reported for the New York Daily News, that J.J. Barea would have interest in playing for the Knicks! Barea played a key role in the Mavericks' championship run, and is a total sparkplug off the bench (cliche', I know). At his best, Barea can wreak havoc in the lane, run a mean pick-and-roll, and spot up from 3-point range. However, the addition of Barea would essentially give the Knicks two undersized shooting guards off the bench, who play PG because of their height (I'm looking at you, Toney Douglas).

But in the meantime, Barea has expressed a liking for New York City and Mike D'Antoni's system. So he's definitely a player to keep an eye on.

Friday, December 2, 2011

The free agent frenzy has been relatively quiet today. However, I'm sure front offices are talking to agents all around the NBA, regardless of whether or not we hear about it.

All signs point to the Knicks avoiding any long term contract commitments in hopes of signing Chris Paul, Deron Williams, or Dwight Howard next summer. As Howard Beck of the New York Times noted, the Knicks will likely only sign players to one-year deals.

With that said, here are the top 3 realistic signings I'd like the Knicks to make:

I am so ready to watch this guy play. He's posted numerous workoutvideos online during the lockout, and he did very well at the Impact League in Las Vegas this summer.

It's great to see how intense he is about his preparation for the season, and also how generally excited he is to play on Christmas Day. Likewise, it's great to hear him acknowledge the learning opportunities he'll get playing under Amar'e Stoudemire, Carmelo Anthony, and Chauncey Billups.

A couple other things of note in this video:

Shump acknowledges that his shot selection was poor at Georgia Tech, and that he's improved it

He says he's going to play "with a chip on his shoulder". Last Knicks rookie to do this was Landry Fields and we all saw what happened there

He's totally ready for the rookie harrassment he's going to get this year. I feel like Amar'e is probably a big rookie harrasser. Second biggest on the team, next to Renaldo Balkman. He's a total dick!

I think Glen Davis is working out in the background of this video. He looks fat, and is missing shots that even I could hit

It looks like a girl basketball player models a pair of sweatpants in the background at 4:04

When Shump talks, you see his bottom teeth more often than his top teeth, which I don't believe I've seen very much in other humans. Then again, Shump might not be a human.

Both have been in the New York area during the lockout; Toney Douglas has been working out in Brewster, NY, and 'Melo has been doing celebrity things, and hopefully basketball things as well. Carmelo did tell reporters at the MSG Training Center that he's in the best shape of his life, and Alan Hanh noted via Twitter, that he did in fact look lean.

But what should we make of the fact that only two Knickerbockers showed up to play basketballs today?

The news is not all that surprising. Reports were that when D-Will was traded to the Nets last season, he was less than thrilled. New Jersey does have a potentially bright future with the move to Brooklyn in 2012, lots of money to spend, and lots of draft picks. Naturally, Deron will probably wait and see if the Nets' front office can surround him with quality talent (ahem, Dwight Howard).

As far as the Knicks are concerned, this is good news as Deron is definitely on their radar, though it doesn't look like they'll be short of All-Star point guards who want to join their team....

Like it or not, this is the news of the day, and likely will be a highly publicized story until his future is sorted out.

According to a Yahoo! report, Chris Paul's agent has requested the Hornets trade his client to the New York Knicks. Since Paul's famous wedding-day toast, there has been great speculation about the Knicks forming their own Big 3 of Amar'e Stoudemire, Carmelo Anthony, and Paul. It's two-thirds complete already, and it seems the third Musketeer is trying to join sooner rather than later.

According to an ESPN report, Tyson Chandler is expecting to be on a new team this season.

"I really think I'm going to be on a new team come training camp," Chandler told ESPN.com in a telephone interview Wednesday night. "I'm really taking a hard look at all of my options, trying to see what best suits me."

This comes as shocking news as Chandler played an integral role in the Mavericks' championship run. It was practically assumed that he would be resigned, but he apparently thinks differently.